Little Angel
by DaLizzie
Summary: Finished! Yami is a human that feels he's missing something in life, and Yugi's a lonely angel. What do you think is gonna happen?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Once again, one of those ideas that came to me in the middle of the night. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. R/R, please!

Update 3/17/09: As with Come Save Me, I looked over this story and decided to make some big plot changes. The original plotline I had just seemed silly to me.

Disclaimer: YuGiOh ain't mine! So put away those lawyers!

Little Angel

Chapter 1

Footsteps echoed as she made her way down the cold stone hall. She had been summoned for a very special task, or so the message had said. Gigantic double doors opened with a scraping sound as she entered the room where her master awaited her.

"I see you got my message," a voice said.

"Indeed," she replied. "What task do you require me to perform?"

"There is a human boy who will come near death very soon. However, his death will not be final even though his spirit will have moved out of his body. He will have to make a choice."

She frowned. "And you want me to help him?" This was rather unorthodox; helping souls make decisions about death usually wasn't her particular line of work. She usually focused more on helping souls to fall in love.

"Yes, and I also wish for you to help an angel make a choice, as well."

"An angel?"

"Yes, though this angel's choice will not be the same. He will have to choose between his home in the White Lands and Earth."

Her frown deepened. "What, may I ask, is the story behind all of this? Are this angel and human actually going to meet?"

The master smiled. "You will find out soon. Go to where the angel lives; the human boy should be there soon."

Her frown deepened, but she obeyed, knowing that her master saw far more than she did.

"Oh, and one more thing," the voice said. "The human boy will remember very little of his life on Earth. You may have to job his memory a bit."

Another unusual task. She bowed and turned, exiting through the great doors as they closed behind her.

Yami was bored out of his skull. The math sub had a lisp that made him completely unintelligible, not that anyone was listening anyways, and math was always boring no matter what. Yami's eyes drifted from the window he had been staring out of over to the desk next to him, where Jou was scribbling a note that he and Hiroto had been passing back and forth for the past half hour.

Sighing, Yami looked at the clock. Only ten more minutes, and school would finally be over. It had been a bad day already. Yami had slept through his alarm and ended up running to school in the rain only to realize once he got there that he had forgotten his history homework. That, and he had managed to blow up his chemistry experiment with Jou's help, as well as getting a detention after school next Monday for writing notes in the middle of health class.

Yami was so lost in thought over his bad day that he nearly fell out of his chair when the last bell finally rang. Jou and Hiroto were off like a shot, and Yami had to run to catch up to them. When he finally did they were already slamming their lockers shut and were ready to leave.

"Hey, Yami, did you catch what pages we had to do for homework?" Jou asked, leaning on his locker. Yami just blinked at Jou.

"We had homework?" Jou blinked back as Yami stuffed a few books in his bag and shut his locker.

"And I thought I was bad at listening to the teacher. Couldn't understand him anyways, though. You sure you're okay, Yami? You're acting kind of weird today."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Yami said as he pushed open the door and walked down the school's front steps. "This just hasn't been one of my better days."

Jou opened his mouth to say something else, then spotted Seto from the corner of his eye.

"Hey, Seto!" Jou called to his boyfriend, waving. The brunet waved back as he walked over to them.

"Hi, puppy," he said, giving Jou a peck on the lips. Yami's faraway expression caught his attention at that moment, and he asked Jou, "What's wrong with Yami?" Jou shrugged.

"I just had a bad day," Yami said quietly, then he started off down the sidewalk towards his house. "I better get home. I'll see you tomorrow, guys."

Yawning, Yami stretched as he walked. He knew he shouldn't have stayed up so late the night before, but video games were extremely addictive. Besides that, Yami also knew that he had been extremely pensive and quiet lately. He had logically decided that it was because he was jealous of Jou and Seto, but he thought that he had gotten over that jealousy weeks ago.

/And I'm over it, right?/ Yami thought to himself. /Right?! Okay, so I'm not over it. I've got a reason, though./ His brain came to a halt as he suddenly realized that he didn't even have a reason for being so jealous.

/Okay, so I don't have a reason. So what? Do I need to have a reason?/

Yami sighed. He knew that his jealousy was rather baseless, but it had refused to go away. Just a few years ago when he had started junior high he had begun to feel that there was something crucial missing in his life, something that he could almost see and touch, but somehow it always eluded his grasp.

This feeling of absence had left him somewhat distant from everyone else as he tried to figure out what he was missing. He had even been brave enough to try talking to a school counselor, but all she had said was that most teenagers are looking for an identity. That wasn't the problem. Yami knew who he was, he just didn't know what wasn't there. It was becoming extremely frustrating.

/Maybe I'm just imagining all this/ he thought. He had told himself that many times before, but somehow the stubborn part of his mind just wouldn't buy it. He had found it quite frustrating that his own mind was turning against him.

Staring at his feet, Yami kept walking in the direction of his house, lost in thought. He wasn't even aware of where he was until a shout jarred him out of his thoughts. He looked up in a daze to realize that he was on a crosswalk in the middle of the street. He also realized it a little bit too late.

"Look out, kid!"

Yami had barely processed that there was a car heading straight for him when it hit, and that was the last thing that Yami knew as darkness claimed him.

A/N: Wow, a story that will actually have more than one chapter. That's a first for me! Anywayz, it's probably almost painfully obvious where this is going, but it will get good, I promise! I'll need reviews to actually go any further on this, so please R/R!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Whee, second chappie! I absolutely hated editing this thing. Not that I like editing anyway, but oh well. I got four, yes count 'em, four reviews! Heh, it's not all that much, but it makes me feel happy that at least somebody reads my junk. Hope ya'll enjoy it, and R&R please!

Little Angel

Chapter 2

Yugi lay on a stone bench in the garden, staring up at nothing unblinkingly. It was a beautiful day; the sky was clear and bright, there were flowers blooming all around him, water was trickling merrily in the fountain. But, Yugi did not seem to notice any of it. To him, the sky was dark and the flowers were colorless. The beauty around him would give him no joy and no hope.

Loneliness has a way of doing that to the world.

Sighing, Yugi shifted his position. It had been almost eight months since the incident, hadn't it? The incident that had darkened his world and sapped away all the bright colors that he had once adored. He had been told by many that, in time, the heavy sorrow would dissipate. He would move on, as so many had before him. But why was the world still so dark? Why could the light not penetrate his sorrow?

Why couldn't he let go of his mother and father?

Yugi felt a familiar prickling behind his eyes. With all the crying that he had done in the past months he thought that his tears would have all dried up by now. Instead the salty liquid coursed down his cheek as he hid his face from the cloudless yet overcast sky, the grief possessing him yet again.

Suddenly Yugi was forced back into reality as he heard a loud, undistinguishable noise. He jerked in surprise and fell off the bench, landing ungracefully in the flower bed. One of his white feathered wings twitched in irritation as he pulled himself up off the ground. What in the White Lands had that noise been?

Looking up, Yugi could see movements among the thick shrubs in a corner of the garden. His grief replaced by curiosity, Yugi cautiously stepped forward. There seemed to be something hiding in the bushes, but Yugi couldn't quite make it out.

He yelped as a form stumbled forward out of the bushes to land in a heap on the soft grass. Yugi stared openly. It was… an angel? But wait, no, this… thing… didn't have any wings. Yugi frowned; even demons had dark leathery wings, but this creature didn't have any whatsoever. So then he must be a…

The figure jerked rather suddenly and sat up, looking around in confusion. He saw Yugi and, with a gasp, scrambled backwards until he hit a tree and could go no further. Now that Yugi could see him better, he saw that his clothes (which were quite odd-looking by themselves) were dirty and torn and there was a bloody gash on his forehead. He was breathing heavily and seemed confused and afraid. Summoning up his courage, Yugi stepped forward.

"You're…" the figure said hoarsely, raising a hand to point at Yugi. "You're an angel…"

Yugi blinked. "Yes, I am an angel," he said as he stepped closer. "And you are… a human?"

The human just stared back as if he didn't understand the question, then slowly nodded.

Yugi kneeled in front of the human. "How did you get here?" Yugi asked gently. Humans were rarely, if ever, seen in the White Lands. Usually they only came along the road that led to the Gate.

The human frowned. "I… I don't know… I don't remember anything…"

The human looked down at his hands, his frown deepening. Yugi figured that the human must be tired from whatever he had been through, which was a lot from his bedraggled look. Maybe if he had a chance to eat and rest he would have better luck remembering how he had gotten there.

"Here," Yugi said, holding out a hand. The human looked at it in confusion. "Come with me," Yugi said, smiling. "We'll get you something to eat and some new clothes, and take care of that cut."

The human put a hand to the bleeding wound on his forehead as if he hadn't yet noticed it. He looked up at the angel warily for another moment, then took Yugi's hand. The human was quite unstable on his feet, so Yugi helped support him as they walked through the garden and into Yugi's home.

Jounouchi tried to slow himself down as he ran up to the front door of the hospital, fighting down the panic that had risen in him just a few moments ago. He had just heard about the accident from his sister Shizuka, who had been down the street from the crosswalk where it had happened. She was already inside with Yami's grandfather, who she had said in her phone call was close to hysterics.

The blond tried to catch his breath as he walked up to the front desk where a young woman was sitting, and was about to ask her where Yami was when he saw his sister out of the corner of his eye.

Jounouchi rushed over to her, saying, "Is he all right? What happened? Where is he? Can we see him?"

His sister held up her hands to silence him, and Jou noticed that she looked tired. She then took a deep breath and said, "All I know about the accident is that he was hit by a car while walking across the street. The doctor said he would give us a full statement after a few tests had been run. The room's just down the hall."

She turned and began to lead Jou towards the room, then said quietly with a strong hint of sadness in her voice, "There was one doctor saying that he might not wake up."

"How-" Jou stopped where he was. "How could that happen?" he finished in a disbelieving whisper.

Shizuka sighed, and they kept walking. "I mean, isn't there something they can do? He couldn't have been hurt that bad, could he?" Jou stopped again.

"Could he?" Shizuka looked away, which to Jou was a very bad sign.

"There was a doctor talking to Yami's grandpa when I got here, and he was saying that though Yami is alive, he-he hasn't responded at all to anything. The doctor said it was like a coma, though nothing he had ever seen before. It's like he's just…" she paused for a moment, chewing her lip absently, "…asleep. And they can't seem to wake him up."

She watched silently from a distance as the angel took the human boy inside. She had thought it impossible at first, but the boy was indeed alive without being so on Earth. And this angel… she had heard about him. The boy had tragically lost his parents to some unknown illness several months ago. She felt a pang of pity for the poor angel.

She stroked her chin thoughtfully, interested as to how this was going to play out. She knew exactly what kind of choice the human would have to make; eventually, he would either have to move on to the afterlife or go back to his life on Earth. But, what of the angel? How was he to choose between the White Lands and Earth?

Her eyes narrowed as she realized something. The human had to choose between Earth and the Gate. The angel also had the choice to go to Earth. Was it possible that… the two of them would be lovers?

Ah, so that was it. Suppressing a squeal, she darted back through the garden and, as soon as she was out of sight of the house, took flight. Maybe she could come up with a few ideas to speed up the process.

A/N: Ah, finished! ^_^ Can anyone guess who the girl watching over Yami and Yugi is? I'll have her be acting as a sort of Cupid/Eros for the fic, but her identity won't be revealed until later. Please review, I really like feedback!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Lord, I didn't think I'd get updates on this thing so darn fast. I feel special. ^_^ Now, to the next chapter!

Little Angel

Chapter 3

He slowly woke to sweet, warm smells all around him and the soft sound of running water. Crimson eyes opened tentatively, and at first all he saw was white. He blinked a few times, then realized that he was lying on a bed. An extremely soft, comfortable bed.

"Oh, you're awake!"

He turned his head to see a strangely familiar-looking boy with bright violet eyes and a gentle smile looking back at him. "I was beginning to worry," the soft voice said. "You were asleep for almost two days."

The half-awake boy frowned, suddenly realizing that he couldn't seem to recall any memory from before he had woken up.

"Where…" he pulled himself up into a sitting position to look around, and his jaw dropped. "… am I?" he finished in an awed whisper.

The room he was in was constructed all of a pure white stone, and was almost completely open to the outside. Various chairs and sofas and a table or two were set around the room. There was one closed-off corner that looked to be a sort of kitchen, with cabinets and counters and a fire pit. Drapes of different shades of violet and blue were swathed around the pillars that served as the walls of the room. Between the pillars he could see out into a glorious green garden, filled with flowers of all colors and an ornate white fountain from which the sound of running water was coming.

The bed he was in was quite large, to say the least, with a gold and white canopy above him and soft pillows scattered all over the white blankets. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was wearing white pants and a shirt made out of some soft, unidentified fabric. A slight shifting of the bed as someone sat down on it next to him jarred him out of his thoughts. He looked down to see the violet eyes looking up at him, the smile still present.

"What's your name?" The boy next to him asked. He blinked, then found that he had to think for a moment. What was his name, anyways? "Um, Yami, I think," he said after a few seconds.

"I'm Yugi, and to answer your first question, you're at my home." Yami looked around him once again with wide eyes. "This… is your home?" Yugi nodded, bangs bouncing around his face.

Yami looked back down at Yugi, and his eyes went wide once again. Yugi was a few inches shorter than Yami, dressed all in a soft white fabric that matched his creamy skin. That wasn't what caught Yami's eye, though. It was the white, feathered wings protruding from Yugi's back that were almost as big as the boy.

"You…" Yami unconsciously pointed a finger at Yugi, who suddenly looked confused.

"You're an angel!" Yami blurted out, his eyes bigger than seemed physically possible. Yugi just blinked.

"Yes, you said that earlier," he said. Yami frowned.

"Earlier? When was that?"

"Well, you stumbled into my garden a couple days ago. You were hurt, so I took you in here and you just fell asleep as soon as you lay down. Speaking of which…"

Yugi reached towards Yami and Yami suddenly realized that there was a bandage on his forehead. He touched it gingerly, wincing at the soreness. He felt heat rise in his cheeks as Yugi took his hands and moved them away from his forehead, then carefully removed the bandage to look at the cut.

"It's healing over pretty well," Yugi said as he put a new bandage over the wound.

Yami was still processing what Yugi had said to him. "So… you took care of me? For two days?"

Yugi just nodded, smiling shyly.

"Thank you…" Yami said, and smiled when Yugi blushed. The angel was actually rather cute…

"Do you remember how you got here?" Yugi asked.

Yami's brow creased as he tried to remember. There were a few hazy images of seeing someone with white wings holding a hand out to him, but everything before that was blank…

Yami just shook his head. "No… I don't remember anything before coming here." Then, a thought struck him, though from where he wasn't sure. "But wait… if I'm here, and you're an angel, does that mean I'm dead?"

Yugi pursed his lips, then said, "Well, not exactly. You're not technically dead until you pass through the Gate into the afterlife."

The thing about the Gate and the afterlife sounded familiar… Heaven? Was that what it was called?

"But… I thought that angels were in the afterlife…" Yami said tentatively. Wait, how had he remembered that?

Yugi chuckled. "Now, where did you get that idea?"

Yami just shrugged. "I guess that's what we believe on Earth."

"Well, as far as I know, we're just guardians of the Gate; we don't actually live on the other side of it. Angels and demons live and die the same way as humans do."

Yami looked up. "Demons?"

"Yes, they have wings like ours except theirs are black and leathery."

The human rubbed his temples, trying to take all of this in. For some reason his brain was telling him that angels were immortal, perfect beings that were purer and more powerful than humans. Everything that Yugi was telling him contradicted that, but Yami figured he ought to know since he was an angel himself.

"So… angels die? Just like humans?"

Yugi nodded. "Yes. I had heard that humans believed that angels were somehow above all physical needs, but we're not. We eat and drink and sleep to survive, just like humans, and we die just like humans, either from old age or disease or…"

Yugi stopped for a moment, a sad look coming over his face, but it quickly passed.

"And, the way of things is that we guard the Gate to the human afterlife and there is a Gate on Earth that leads to the afterlife for angels and demons."

Yami nodded absently. "So, if all that's true, then how did I get here? I'm not dead since I didn't go through the Gate, but I'm not alive on Earth, either…"

Yugi shrugged. "I'm not sure," he said simply.

Looking down at his hands, Yami tried to remember something, anything of the life on Earth he knew that he must have had. There were misty images, faded pictures of faceless people and nameless places, but they were all meaningless to him.

"Shouldn't I remember something?" he said softly. "Anything?"

"Well, you did remember what humans think about angels, so that's a start," Yugi said encouragingly. "Anyways, I think I know some angels that could help us."

Yami's head snapped up. "Who?"

"The Angel's Council," Yugi replied. "They might know how you got here and how you'll be able to get back. I can take you to them tomorrow, if you want."

Yami nodded. "All right…" He looked the angel in the eye. "Thank you… for helping me," he said softly.

Yugi's cheeks colored slightly. "It's no problem," he said. Clearing his throat, Yugi looked up and said brightly, "So, are you hungry?"

She watched the exchange from out in the garden, trying not to let out a dreamy sigh in case they might hear her. She had noticed that the angel was a bit more cheerful than he had been and that the human seemed to feel quite safe with the angel despite his unfamiliar surroundings. So, she had been correct in his assumption. The two were most definitely on the path to love.

Grinning, she disappeared yet again, still working on her plans for the two young boys.

A/N: Um, yeah, hope ya'll liked it, and you must review if you want me to update again soon! Reviews are good for my muse. Not that he needs his ego boosted any more than it already is…


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Yummy chapter four! I edited this one a lot more than my other chapters, and I'm still not entirely happy with it, but I can't think of anything else to do to it, so what the heck. Please read and review!

Little Angel

Chapter 4

Yami woke up slowly, awake but not quite ready to open his eyes. He could hear the water falling in the fountain outside and he could feel the soft warmth of the bed he lay upon. These things had nearly lulled him back to sleep when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder.

His eyes fluttered open and he rolled over to see Yugi sitting on the edge of the bed. The sight of the angel was breathtaking; the light of the rising sun gave his wings and skin a luminous quality. His eyes were gentle and bright, his cheeks softly flushed, and his lips…

Yami felt a blush rise in his cheeks as he realized the direction his thoughts were taking. He was so flustered that he completely missed what Yugi had been saying.

"I… I'm sorry?" he stuttered.

"I asked if you wanted some breakfast," Yugi said again, trying to suppress a smile. Humans were rather strange at times, he had noticed.

"Uh… sure," Yami said, sitting up. Yugi smiled and walked over to the kitchen area, bringing back bowls of fruit and a loaf of bread that had a scent reminiscent of cinnamon. Yugi set the food down on a table and was about to sit down when, for no apparent reason, he lurched forward and landed on top of Yami. The two of them stared at each other for a few moments, then Yugi abruptly shoved himself off of Yami.

"I'm sorry…" he murmured.

"That's all right. You just tripped."

"I suppose, but…" Yugi looked around. There was nothing that he could have tripped over. In fact, it felt like he had been pushed.

Meanwhile, off in the bushes, she was silently fuming. She had been hoping that, with the help of her invisibility spell, her little nudge would have inspired some sparks to fly, but all that she had gotten was some deep blushing.

Yugi, meanwhile, shrugged it off and sat down to eat. He was more concerned by the fact that he had actually enjoyed being in such close contact with the human. He had admitted to himself during the time when Yami had been asleep that the human was very attractive, but had quickly dismissed it. Nothing would ever come of his momentary attraction to a human, and the attraction was only physical anyways.

The two finished eating. "Where is the Angel's Council?" Yami asked. He was anxious to find out where he had come from and how he had gotten to the White Lands.

"They're farther into the city," Yugi said as he cleaned up their breakfast dishes.

"How do we get there?"

"Well, we fly, of course."

"We? Fly?"

Yugi turned and walked back over to Yami. "Well, I'll be flying, anyways. I guess I'll have to, uh, carry you."

"Okay, then. Just don't drop me."

Yugi chuckled nervously. He had never carried anyone while flying, so he sincerely hoped that he could keep a good hold on Yami. The two of them were blushing profusely as Yami put his arms around Yugi's neck and Yugi put his around Yami's waist.

"Ready?" Yugi asked.

Yami nodded, then suddenly realized that he wasn't quite ready as Yugi lifted off the ground. He had a feeling that, of all the activities he had done on Earth, flying sure wasn't one of them. He unconsciously tightened his hold on Yugi as the garden and Yugi's home became smaller and smaller below them then, deciding that he ought not to look down, he looked up ahead of them.

What he saw took his breath away.

There were endless, rolling emerald hills that swept across the horizon like ocean waves, the crests occasionally topped with trees or white marble temples that were the homes of the angels. The sun, which had still not risen very high, sent slanted beams of light across the hills and through the pure puffy clouds above.

"Are you sure this isn't heaven?" Yami breathed.

Yugi smiled. "Do you like it?"

Yami nodded. "It's beautiful."

"Then you're going to love the city."

It was only then that Yami realized they were actually moving forward. He had been so caught up in the dazzling scene before him that he hadn't seen the ground moving along beneath them. Looking down, Yami saw other houses and other gardens scattered amongst the hills. Yami frowned; it seemed odd to him that there were no roads. He had expected to see them spun like thread over the hills, but then it hit him: angels fly. They don't need roads. Yami almost smacked himself for not realizing that earlier.

Looking over at Yugi, Yami was once again in awe. Yugi's wings were spread to their full length, seeming almost ridiculously large for the petite body to which they were attached. He was brought out of his admiration as Yugi spoke.

"There," the angel said. "In those mountains ahead."

Yami looked up to see that there was indeed a mountain range rising up out of the hills ahead of them. For a moment, he thought that they were topped with snow. But, looking closer, Yami saw that it wasn't snow at all. There were white buildings, pristine marble structures, heaped all over the peaks of the mountains like birthday candles.

"That's the city?" Yami asked.

"Yup. That's where we're headed. That's where the Angel's Council is, and just about everything else, at that."

"An important place, I take it."

"Oh, yes. The most important place in all of the White Lands."

As they got closer to the mountains they began to see other angels flying about on their own errands. They hardly seemed to notice Yugi and the human in his arms. Eventually the two came to the highest peak amongst the many mountain tops that made up the city. Yami resisted the urge to shut his eyes as they came closer and closer to the mountain, then finally allowed himself to relax as Yugi gently landed on the marble floor of the city. Yugi set him down on the ground and Yami looked about in awe.

The area they were in seemed to be a designated departure and arrival platform for all those coming from and going to other peaks. Ahead of them sparkling towers rose up into the morning sunlight.

"This way," Yugi said, taking Yami's hand and leading him into the city. Though Yami was a bit surprised at the contact, he eventually closed his hand around Yugi's tightly, not wanting to get separated from the angel in the crowded streets. Now that they were amongst so many angels, Yami was getting a lot of open stares at his apparent lack of wings. Some just gave him an odd glance and kept walking (or flying) and others stopped whatever they were doing and gaped.

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Yami lowered his eyes and hurried his step to keep up with the angel. They had been walking for ten minutes when they came into a huge square in the center of the city. Yami barely had time to gasp in awe as Yugi pulled him along through the crowds of angels. They seemed to be heading towards a huge building at the other side of the square, an intimidating structure with gigantic columns and a glass dome roof that reflected the morning sunlight.

Yugi was simply intent on getting into the Angel's Council without making too much of a scene. He hadn't been sure what kind of reaction he would get escorting a human into the city's center, but so far it had been relatively peaceful and he aimed to keep it that way. He was so set on getting into the Council building as quickly as possible that he almost glided up the steps, then remembered that Yami was still behind him and slowed to a walk.

"This is the Angel's Council?" Yami asked softly, staring up at the building. Yugi only nodded, wary of the guards that were standing stoically in front of the massive, ornate doors that were the entrance to the Council. As soon as they stepped closer, one of the guards came forward, the metal of his armor clinking with each step.

"Who are you and what is your business here?" he said rather flatly.

"M-My name is Yugi," Yugi said, suddenly feeling nervous. "I-I'm here to see the Council."

"Most people that come here are, but what is your specific business?"

Not really sure what to say, Yugi just gestured vaguely at Yami. Suddenly seeming to notice that there was somebody else standing there, the guard gasped and took an involuntary step backwards. He stared openly at Yami for several moments, then hurried over to the other guards and urgently whispered something to them. The other guards looked equally astonished and one of them dashed through the doors and into the building. The guard then came back over to Yugi and Yami.

"Follow me," he said and, escorted by three other guards, Yugi and Yami entered the Angel's Council.

The High Councilor, meanwhile, could hardly believe his ears. He stared at the panting guard in front of him in shock, though his face betrayed no expression. Eventually the High Councilor shifted his position, cleared his throat, straightened his spectacles on the bridge of his nose and looked down at the guard once again.

"A human?"

The guard nodded.

"Here in the city?"

Another nod.

"I'll believe it when I see it!" a voice called out from the Council and there were several shouts of assent.

The High Councilor motioned for silence, then said, "Very well. We shall have proof. Bring him in, please."

The guard obeyed and the room was filled with gasps as a young boy with no wings to speak of walked into the room accompanied by another unknown angel. The two of them stood in the center of the council chamber, bathed in the light that fell through the glass dome that was the ceiling of the Angel's Council.

"And who is this?" the High Councilor asked, gesturing at Yugi.

"This is the angel that found the human, Councilor," the guard replied. The High Councilor nodded and squinted down at the young angel.

"Ah, yes…" he said, suddenly remembering. "This is the son of two great angels, indeed."

Yugi blushed and looked down at his hands. The High Councilor's eyes became sad.

"I am very sorry for your loss, my child," he said sympathetically. Yugi just nodded. Yami glanced at Yugi; what was this old angel talking about? Was this why Yugi lived alone, because his parents were gone?

"Now," the High Councilor said, shifting in his chair and stretching his graying wings a bit as he directed his gaze towards Yami, "What is your name?"

"Yami, sir," Yami said. He was surprised at how calm he sounded, but then again he had always been good at making himself look like he knew what he was doing even if he really didn't.

"And you come from Earth?"

"As far as I know, sir."

The High Councilor blinked. "As far as you know?"

"I don't have very many memories from before Yugi found me, sir. There are just a few scattered images."

"Indeed…" the High Councilor murmured. "And how did Yugi find you, exactly?"

Yami told the story as best he could, and the High Councilor then asked Yugi for his own version of the story. Once the two had told everything they knew about the matter, the High Councilor glanced about the room. When no one offered any useful suggestions, the High Councilor leaned forward and spoke directly to the human and the angel.

"I must confess that I know very little of this matter," the High Councilor said, "And I am unsure of what has happened. But, there may yet be information in our records that I can locate and use. However, it will be a while before we find an answer."

Yami felt his heart droop in disappointment. He had been hoping that all of the confusion would finally be cleared up and he would get to go back to… wherever he was from… and finally get rid of the feeling of not belonging that was plaguing him.

"Therefore, I rule that the human Yami shall temporarily stay with Yugi until we have found further information to aid this case."

The angel and the human looked at each other.

"If that is not a problem, of course," the High Councilor added.

Yugi shook his head and smiled. "Not at all. He is welcome to stay with me."

Yami was very grateful when they finally reached Yugi's home and he could set his feet on solid ground again. Flying was all right but it still made him nervous.

"Are you hungry?" Yugi asked as he set Yami on the ground and folded his wings behind his back. Yami didn't have a chance to answer as he suddenly lurched forward to fall against Yugi. Yugi reacted just quickly enough to catch him and the two stared at each other for several moments until Yami regained his wits and stood himself up.

"Um… thanks," he said as he looked around for what he had tripped over. He didn't notice Yugi's blush, nor the rustle of bushes as she darted away, trying not to giggle. He did notice the heat that rose in his cheeks at the contact with the angel; why was he so nervous around him?

Several minutes later Yami was chewing absently on a sweet, unknown fruit that apparently were Yugi's favorite, because they were in very high supply. Yugi had chattered cheerfully about other trips he had taken to the city as he made their lunch, but now he was strangely quiet. Stealing a glance at the angel, Yami saw that Yugi looked distant and somehow sad. Then, Yami remembered what the old angel at the council had said to Yugi about his parents.

"Yugi?" he asked without giving himself time to wonder if he should pry or not. Yugi looked up at him.

"What happened to your parents?"

Yugi looked down at his hands rather suddenly. "They… they died," he said in a strained voice. "They died of a strange disease eight months ago."

"I'm sorry…" Yami murmured, and he was surprised when Yugi laughed bitterly.

"Everyone's always sorry, so very sorry for something that wasn't anybody's fault. At least, they once were. Now everyone says that I need to move on, to let go, to stop grieving because I've done enough of it."

Yugi fell silent and Yami was unsure of what to say. Eventually he said gently, "Well, I suppose there is a time when we all have to move on…"

"But I'm not ready…" Yugi said, his voice suddenly thick with emotion. Yami left his half-eaten fruit on the table, forgotten, and scooted closer to Yugi. "I'm not ready to move on. I still have nightmares about it, I can't think about them without crying, I can't…"

Yugi stopped speaking, unable to go on, and hid his face in his hands. Yami, his heart torn at the sight of such a cheerful angel being reduced to broken sobs, gently put his arm around Yugi's shaking shoulders. As he scooted closer, he could hear Yugi whisper faintly, "I still miss them so much…"

Suddenly Yami felt sadness rise in his own heart, but it was not for Yugi. He could see, in his mind's eye, men and women wearing black and walking past a long wooden box. An old man with sad eyes came over to him and put his hand on his shoulder…

"My parents are dead, too…" Yami whispered in sudden realization. Yugi's head snapped up and he stared at Yami with red-rimmed eyes.

"You're remembering?" he said softly, his grief momentarily forgotten. Yami just nodded.

"Yes…" Yami said slowly. "I remember that… my mother and father… there was an accident…"

He paused for a moment, then said with a note of aggrieved shock in his voice, "They died…" He almost smiled as he began to remember the aftermath. "I was little… just a little child at the time. I cried for so long. I was sad for months and months and nothing could make me happy."

He looked over at Yugi. "But I did move on eventually."

More tears trailed down Yugi's cheeks. "How?" he hiccupped.

"I don't think I did it alone. There were others there for me… other family, I suppose."

Yugi looked downcast. "I don't have anyone else… there's no other family, and I don't really have any friends. It's just me."

"I didn't say that you need someone to do it for you," Yami said, leaning down to meet Yugi's eyes. "I think that, when your grieving really is finished, you'll start to see the value in the rest of the world again. Having someone there to help you just reminds you of it with a bit more ease."

Yami smiled. "And if you're not ready yet, then… you're just not ready."

Yugi smiled back, wiping the tears from his face. Yami gently rubbed his shoulder. "Feeling better?"

Yugi nodded, then said, "And how did you learn to give such good advice?"

Yami shrugged. "I learn from experience. Well, the experiences that I remember, anyways." Yami smiled in satisfaction as Yugi giggled, then he suddenly frowned. Something didn't feel right…

"Yami?" Yugi asked, concerned. "Are you all right?"

"I think so, I just… feel weak all of a sudden."

"Here, come lie down," Yugi said, and he helped Yami off the couch and over to the bed where he covered Yami with a blanket. "You might still be weak from… whatever you went through when you came here." Yami just nodded absently; he suddenly felt exhausted. He briefly felt a warm hand on his forehead before he drifted off to sleep.

A/N: Okay, so that wasn't all too exciting, but we need to get some relationship build-up here. Can't just go into mindless sex right from the get-go (no matter how tempting it is). Review, please!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I can't believe that I got this written so fast. It's kind of long for one of my chapters. I'm still not quite sure how long this fic is going to be, but I think I should know by the time I get the next chapter finished.

Little Angel

Chapter 5

_He could see them beckoning to him… There were smiles on their faces, and they seemed so familiar. He tried to go towards them, but with each step he took it seemed that they were farther and farther away. He called out to them, asking who they were, but there was no answer. Unable to reach them, he watched helplessly as they faded away._

Yugi looked up from the book he was reading as he heard Yami murmur something in his sleep. Putting the book down, Yugi went over to the bed and sat beside the human. His brow was creased in a frown and his hands were balled into fists. Yugi sighed sadly and put his hand on Yami's forehead, wishing that he knew what to do. The human had had dreams like these when he had been asleep after Yugi had first found him. What was he dreaming about? His home on Earth, perhaps?

Eventually, Yami relaxed and his breathing evened out. The dream was over. But, Yugi stayed where he was, not really wanting to leave. As he watched the human sleep, he thought about the past couple of days. The human really hadn't been there that long, had he? And, as soon as the Angel's Council figured out how to send him back to Earth or on to the Gate, he would leave. His presence should have little or no effect on the angel.

And yet…

Yugi knew that he had been depressed for a long time and, for that matter, so did Yami. Yugi's cheeks colored slightly as he remembered his momentary emotional outburst. Then, his blush deepened even more as he remembered Yami's reaction to it. The human had been so understanding, so gentle, so… loving. And, for the first time in so very long, Yugi noticed that he was happy. He later figured out that he had been rather cheerful since the human had gotten there, but it was only at that moment that Yugi noticed that he was happy.

He had forgotten. He had forgotten how nice it was to smile, to laugh with someone. Just to have someone there, to have company, was a joy that he hadn't known in so long. Sure, there were friends of his parents that came over occasionally, but they were just being polite more than anything.

But… to have someone there with him, just to talk to, felt so incredibly wonderful. And especially to have someone so good-looking, as well. Yugi traced the lines of Yami's face with his gaze. His sharp, angular eyes that were such a beautiful crimson color, his sun-bronzed skin, his soft hands that had touched Yugi so gently…

Yugi blushed yet again. He knew he shouldn't be thinking about the human in this way. First of all, the human would be gone soon, and secondly they had only just met. Besides, there was no way that Yami could feel anything like that towards Yugi. Glancing down at himself, all that Yugi saw was a scrawny figure and much-too-pale skin. He surely wasn't at all attractive to the human. And his wings were enormous compared to his skinny body; surely Yami thought them awkward and freakish.

Smiling sadly, Yugi turned away from Yami's sleeping form and went back to his book.

Yami woke to the familiar sight of a green garden outside the white pillars. He sat up and stretched, feeling quite rested. He frowned as a memory of a dream flitted across his consciousness, but as soon as it had come it was gone. He looked around for Yugi, smiling as he saw the angel sitting out in the garden. Yami stood and went over to him.

His smile quickly faded, however, as he saw Yugi's sad and distant eyes. He also noted that there was a bouquet of white flowers sitting on the bench next to Yugi. Before Yami could say anything, though, Yugi blinked and smiled up at Yami.

"Good morning," he said with as much cheerfulness as he could muster.

"Good morning," Yami said as he sat down next to the angel.

"How are you feeling?" Yugi asked.

"Much better," Yami said, then dared to ask, "What are the flowers for?"

Yugi's eyes saddened again. "Today is the Holy Day," Yugi said softly. "I always take flowers to my parents on the Holy Day."

Yugi was silent for a moment, and then said in an almost inaudible voice, "Will you come with me?"

Yami just blinked. "I mean, we wouldn't want you to have another weak spell while you're on your own, would we?" Yugi said with a somewhat forced chuckle.

"No, we wouldn't," Yami replied absently. "Of course I'll come with you."

Yugi smiled, almost in relief, as he took the bouquet and stood from the bench. "This way," he said, and Yami followed him through the garden.

They walked through the shady trees, jeweled flowerbeds and secret streams until they reached a clearing. In the center was a small tree with beautiful white, bell-shaped blossoms. The morning sunlight slanted down on it through the trees, giving it an ethereal glow. Yami looked around for a gravestone but couldn't detect anything in the clearing except the tree. Then, he saw Yugi lay the bouquet of flowers down at the base of the tree. /Gravestones must be limited to Earth/ Yami thought to himself.

Yugi sat down on his knees in front of the tree and was silent for several moments. Yami wasn't sure if he should do anything or not, but then Yugi started speaking.

"Good morning, Father. 'Morning, Mother. I brought your favorite flowers this time. I thought you'd like that."

Yugi swallowed. "And I brought someone with me this time. He's from Earth, if you can believe that. I… I found him in our garden. He doesn't remember much before that, but he doesn't have any wings so we know he's from Earth. I took him to the Angel's Council and they're going to figure out what to do to get him back home. Until then, he's staying with me."

Yugi was twisting the fabric of his shirt between his fingers. "He's really nice, actually. I like talking to him. It's nice to have someone in the house besides just me. And… I really like him being there."

Yami smiled, and Yugi went on. "Well, I mean… I really, really like him. I like the way he looks and the sound of his voice and…" Yami's smile faded. Was Yugi saying what he thought he was saying?

"He helped me, you know…" Yugi said, his voice becoming thick with grief. "When I was sad he made me happy again, and… I haven't been happy in so long. I really like him being here with me, but… I don't know if he feels the same way about me."

Yami just stood there with his mouth open. Yugi really liked him that much? Had that simple moment of sympathy impacted him so deeply? Before Yami could voice any of these questions, he heard Yugi sob and then saw him stand and run off into the trees.

"Yugi?!" Concerned, Yami ran after the angel. It wasn't until they reached the fountain outside of the house that Yami finally caught up with Yugi and managed to grab hold of his arm.

"Yugi," Yami gasped breathlessly. "Yugi, what's wrong?"

Yugi turned away, pulling at Yami's grasp on his arm as sobs escaped his lips. Yami only pulled Yugi towards him, trying to get Yugi to look at him. "Please tell me what's wrong," he said softly.

"What's wrong is that I like you and you don't feel the same way," Yugi managed to say, then collapsed into sobs again. Yami gently tilted Yugi's head up so that their eyes met.

"Now why would you think that?" he murmured. Yugi's eyes widened momentarily, then softened as Yami closed the distance between them. The kiss was soft and gentle, an affirmation of feeling and an invitation to explore. They pulled away slowly and they looked into each other's eyes for a moment, Yugi's full of tears and Yami's gentle and loving, and they fell into another kiss.

Then, the sound of a bell reached their ears. Yugi pulled away abruptly, eyes wide.

"What's that?" Yami asked with a frown.

"We have a visitor," Yugi said.

Rather reluctantly, Yugi left Yami's embrace and went back into the house. Yami stayed where he was, still a bit dazed from the feeling of Yugi's lips on his. Yugi reappeared a moment later with a piece of paper in his hands. He sat down on the bench, staring at whatever was on the paper.

"Yugi? What is it?" Yami sat down next to him and peeked over his shoulder.

"It's from the Angel's Council," Yugi said. "They say that they've discovered your body on Earth. Apparently there was an accident and you fell into a very deep sleep. Your soul left your body, but your body did not die so you cannot move on yet."

Yugi folded the letter up but kept talking. "It says that there's nothing the Angel's Council can do. We have to wait until you either wake up or die." Yugi sniffled softly. "And then you'll leave."

Before Yami could say anything Yugi stood and spread his wings, lifting off the ground and gliding over the trees until he was out of sight. Yami sat on the bench, feeling helpless and confused.

"I don't want to leave, either," he said softly.

A/N: I'm so evil. I give a tantalizing little glimpse of fluff, then steal it away in a flash of angst. Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This chapter is just, well, short, but I hope that it'll get the rest of the plot moving along quite well. I don't really have a whole lot to say about it except that it was a pain to write, for some reason, so on to the reviewers!

Disclaimer: Don't own YuGiOh. Don't sue.

Little Angel

Chapter 6

Yami sighed as he watched the water in the fountain trickle merrily across the white stone. He was, without a doubt, bored out of his mind. There really wasn't anything for him to do. Yugi had a significant library, but all the books were written with an alphabet that Yami couldn't read. Most of his time here so far he had spent with Yugi, but now…

It had been four days since they had gotten the letter from the Angel's Council and Yugi had been avoiding him ever since. Yami would wake up in the morning with breakfast already made but Yugi wouldn't be there waiting for him to wake up with a smile on his face. If Yami ever ventured out into the garden to look for Yugi he never found him. He figured that Yugi's flying abilities gave him an advantage. On the few occasions that the two actually crossed paths, Yugi would turn away without a word and Yami couldn't think of anything to say.

Yami sighed again. He knew, of course, why Yugi was avoiding him. It was pretty clear that Yugi liked him and, although Yami liked the angel back, Yugi was afraid that Yami would leave him. Leave him like his parents did…

Yami looked up at the sky as he heard thunder in the distance. The sky had been overcast all day, and now it finally seemed that the clouds were going to open up. He jumped slightly as the thunder rumbled again, this time much louder. Not wanting to get caught in the rain, Yami stood from the garden bench and went into the house. It wasn't long after that that the clouds released their heavy load and the rain came pouring down in torrents.

As he watched the rain fall onto the leaves and flower petals of the garden, Yami wondered where Yugi was. If he was still out in the garden, he surely couldn't stay out there in weather like this. Lightning crackled across the sky and Yami started to get worried.

Suddenly, he saw a blurry, white form stumble through the trees and dash across the garden, feet splashing through the fast-forming puddles. Yugi ran into the house, his wings held over his head, and he skidded to a stop once he was finally out of the rain. The two stared at each other for several moments. Yugi was panting and completely soaked; his wings were dripping and bedraggled.

Without saying a word, Yami grabbed a blanket from the bed and, walking over to Yugi, wrapped it around him. Yugi nearly stepped away from Yami, but the human took Yugi's arm and led him over to a couch and had him sit down. He proceeded to wrap several more blankets around the shivering angel.

Yugi just stared at him with an uncomprehending expression. Then, although they were barely discernable amongst the trails of rainwater on his face, tears began to trickle from his eyes. Yami tried to wipe them away, but more came until Yugi was sobbing heartbrokenly. He curled up on himself as though trying to hide from something. Yami didn't say anything; he simply took Yugi into his arms and held him as the storm raged.

Several minutes passed and the sobs seemed to fade. Suddenly, though, a crash of thunder reverberated through the house. The wind became harsh, blowing the rain in between the columns. Yami stood and pulled the heavy curtains down between the columns until they were sufficiently sheltered from the storm. He looked back at the angel to see that the boy was trembling, his eyes wide and his wings wrapped around himself.

"Yugi?" Yami said tenderly. He sat down next to the angel and put his arms around him.

Yugi sniffled. "I don't like thunder…" he said softly just as another crash echoed across the sky. Yugi scooted closer to Yami, wrapping the blankets around himself.

"It's okay…" Yami murmured. "Everything's all right."

The sobs returned. "But it's not, Yami… it's not…"

Yugi pushed himself away from Yami and turned to look at him. "I really like you, Yami," he said between sobs. "I think I might even love you." That caught Yami's attention. "But if I let myself love you then you'll just leave… and I'll be alone again…"

Once again Yugi broke down and cried. Yami put his arms around Yugi again, holding the angel firmly until he stopped resisting. Eventually the sobs quieted. Yugi lay in Yami's arms, exhausted, and listened to the gentle thump of the human's heart.

"I know that I can't promise anything…" Yami said softly as he stroked Yugi's hair. "But I do know that I feel happy when I'm with you." Yugi tilted his head to look up at Yami.

"The future may be uncertain," Yami went on, "but that doesn't mean that we can't seize the time that we have now."

Yugi finally smiled, a smile that was angelic sweetness mixed with bitter tears. He assented willingly as Yami leaned down for one kiss, then another… and another…

They did not notice a smiling form sheltering herself from the rain just inside the curtains around the room. She left quietly, knowing that she shouldn't have worried. It all came together on its own. Meanwhile the two were lost in each other. Yami leaned down to kiss Yugi's neck, Yugi wrapped his soft wings around Yami and the storm raged on obliviously.

A/N: Ah, fluff… 'nuff said. Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Yikes, it's been a while since I've updated. School has been killing me, and my midterms are next week. Anyways, to finish the sort-of cliffhanger I left last time, here is the lovely Chapter 7! But first, to those who reviewed on Chapter 6.

Hmm… two reviews… *shrugs* Well, it's better than none, I suppose. Oh, well, on with the fic!

Little Angel

Chapter 7

_There was a man and a woman……… They were smiling at him, and saying something to him, but he couldn't hear them. They were calling out to him, laughing as they did so. He tried to call back to them, but for some reason his voice wouldn't work. He was trying to make out their faces, but his vision seemed dark and blurred. _

_The man and woman suddenly disappeared, and they were replaced by two boys. One had blonde hair, the other had brown hair, and they were smiling at him, also. They were gesturing for him to come to them, but for some reason he could not. He couldn't speak or move, all he could do was stare back. Suddenly, he had an overwhelming desire to go to them; he tried vainly to make his legs work, but they refused to and stayed rooted to the spot. He cried out in frustration as the boys slowly disappeared………_

Yami woke up suddenly, his dream retreating back to his subconscious. He tried for a few moments to figure out what had woken him up, but nothing came to mind except fleeting glimpses of strange people gesturing for him to follow them. Yami sat up, running a hand through his hair. These dreams had been happening more and more often in the past week or so, and each time he remembered more and more of them. It was beginning to bother him, because he didn't know who these people were, yet something told him that he should.

Looking around at the shadowed room in the early morning light, Yami remembered something that Yugi had said to him the first day that they had been together. It had been something about remembering his life on Earth because he hadn't passed through the Gate; there would be a few stray memories left, he had said.

"A few stray memories…" he murmured. Those few stray memories were driving him insane. He had a desperate need to find out who those people were every time he woke up from the same dream every morning. But, he couldn't even recall their faces, let alone who they were. Only Yugi could make that burning need to know fade away, and even yet it still lingered in the back of his mind.

Yami rested his head in his hands, feeling very confused. He was also quite tired, because the dreams chose the most inopportune times to wake him up. His sleepy mind was still trying to recall the unknown faces, and after a few minutes Yami felt hot tears of frustration running down his cheeks. He angrily wiped them away.

"Something wrong?" a voice thick with sleep asked from behind Yami. Yugi slid his arms around Yami's neck, wrapping his wings around the both of them. "You seem frustrated… and sad…" Yugi had an amazing gift for reading emotions in his lover, which meant that Yami could rarely hide anything from the small angel.

"I had another dream about my Earth life," Yami said after a long pause. "I remember more and more of them after I wake up, and… I'm finding that I really want to know who those people are. I feel like I should know…" Yugi sighed, resting his head on Yami's shoulder.

"I'm sorry…" the angel murmured, tightening his embrace. Yami shook his head, then said, "No, angel, you don't have to be sorry. It's not your fault."

Yami gazed out to where the sun was rising beyond the green garden, looking like a watercolor painting of reds, oranges, and golds. "I…" Yami began, "I just wish I knew."

Yugi held his breath as he opened the letter; he had been terrified to open it all day and was hoping as hard as he could that it had nothing to do with Yami. He let out a long sigh as he realized that it was only a wedding invitation. Most of his parents' old friends continued to mail invitations to him, even though he didn't know any of them very well. Looking at the names of the couple, he realized that he had never actually met them.

Yugi walked back into the main room, which gleamed softly as lanterns warded off the night darkness. Yami sat up, concerned that Yugi looked pale. "Is something wrong?" He saw the letter in Yugi's hand. "Is that…"

"No," Yugi shook his head. "It's just a wedding invitation from some of my parents' old friends." He tossed it onto a table and sat down next to Yami, who slipped an arm around his waist.

"Are you going to go?"

Yugi snorted. "Of course not. I don't even really know the people there, and it's always incredibly boring and takes forever to do because they always tack on all these extra ceremonies. Besides that, I hate getting dressed up."

"Mm…" Yami mumbled affirmatively, seeming more interested in stroking Yugi's hair.

"I would never want my wedding to be that fancy. You invite the family and some close friends, wear something that looks nice, say the vows, and kiss. No flowery mumbo-jumbo in sight."

"So you'd be more supportive of a drive-thru marriage?"

Yugi blinked. "A what?"

Yami grinned and shook his head. "Never mind. If you're not going to the wedding, I'm sure we could find other things to do with our time…" Yami leaned down to kiss Yugi, but the little angel put his finger on Yami's lips. Yugi grinned, and said, "I'd like that, too, but first..." Yugi kissed Yami on the nose, "...you have to catch me."

Before Yami could react, Yugi had darted out of his grasp, and run to one of the pillars around the room. Yami raised an eyebrow, then grinned. Yugi giggled, leaning against one of the silk-draped columns. Yami took one step forward, then took off as fast as he could as Yugi bolted out into the garden.

Yami ended up chasing Yugi in circles around the fountain for a while, then they ran out to where the well-kept garden ended and a field of wildflowers began. Yami had nearly caught up to Yugi by then, and reached out his hands to grab the angel.

"Gotcha!" Yami shouted triumphantly, but at that moment, Yugi's wings spread and his feet left the ground. Yami slowed to a stop, head tilted up as he watched Yugi fly up beyond his reach.

"Can't catch me now!" Yugi said playfully, but as he turned to look down at Yami, his smile faded a bit. Yami was staring up at him with an awed expression on his face.

"Yami? Is something wrong?" The crimson-eyed boy barely heard his love's question, he was so caught up in the vision before him.

Yugi's large white wings were lined with silver against the moonlight, and his fair skin seemed to glow. His violet eyes seemed even larger in the night, and his blond bangs were like a golden halo on his head. Yami concluded that Yugi was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Yugi drifted slowly down to Yami, and asked his question again, "Is something wrong?" Yami shook his head slightly, smiling, then suddenly grabbed the small angel and pulled him close.

Yugi squealed in surprised delight, squirming around in Yami's arms. His movements suddenly stilled as Yami's lips brushed over his. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, each marveling at the other's beauty. The angel suddenly threw his arms around Yami's neck, pulling them both into a deep, passionate kiss. They explored each other's mouths, delving deeper and deeper until they finally had to come up for air, gasping.

"Forget the wedding," Yugi said breathlessly. "Why doesn't everyone just sign a paper and then go straight to this?"

Yami chuckled. "I think they need to make it a little more official than that."

Yugi smiled, lying back on the soft grass and allowing Yami to kiss his way down his neck. He buried his hands in Yami's hair, his half-lidded eyes gazing happily at the starry sky.

Yami was surprised to feel a tug from Yugi and he pulled himself up Yugi's body to look into his eyes.

"Yugi?"

The angel gently put a hand to his face. "I just wanted to make sure that I have all of this memorized…" he murmured, drinking in the look of Yami's face in the soft light and the feel of Yami's warm body on top of him. "I want to remember this always."

"So do I…" Yami whispered, and he leaned down for a kiss.

A/N: Hey, look, more fluff. How about that. Please review.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: *hiding behind her chair* Um, yeah, updating is going to get harder because I'm extremely busy in all my classes at school, and I'm tutoring elementary kids some days after school now, but hopefully I'll still have time to write. ^_^

Little Angel

Chapter 8

Yugi woke up to the familiar sound of the fountain and felt the warm sun on his face. He sleepily tried to roll over, but found himself quite entangled in the arms of his lover. Yami sighed in his sleep, his grip on Yugi tightening slightly, and Yugi let himself bask in the glow that they shared for a few moments. He closed his eyes and could still see the starry sky, hear the gentle wind in the trees, feel Yami's lips on his… If he lost all but one memory, that was the one he would keep.

His eyes fluttered open as he felt Yami shift. He was surprised to see that the human's eyes were open, but he was looking at some random point on the wall rather than at Yugi. His lips were barely moving, softly whispering something unintelligible.

"Yami?"

The human didn't respond. Yugi shook him slightly, starting to become frightened.

"Yami, please, you're scaring me…" When the strange behavior didn't stop, Yugi grabbed his face with both hands and cried, "Yami!"

His crimson eyes blinked and suddenly focused in on Yugi's terrified face. Confusion emerged, and Yami sat up partially.

"Yugi, what's wrong?"

"You… your eyes were open, but you weren't awake… and you were whispering something…"

Yami frowned. "Whispering what?"

Yugi shook his head. "I couldn't tell."

Yami was about to ask another question when the two of them heard a knock at the door. The two looked at each other anxiously for a moment, then Yugi slowly rose and went to the door. When he came back there were two older angels whom Yami vaguely recognized from the Council that they had visited. They looked quite businesslike.

"We have investigated the case of the human that has somehow found his way into our lands," one of them began ceremoniously, "and have discovered that the only way he can return is to consciously go back. He will not return because of some other outside influence."

Yami and Yugi stared at each other. Yami felt joy well up in his heart; if it was his choice entirely, then he immediately knew what he could choose.

"So that means…" Yugi said breathlessly, hardly daring to believe it, "That Yami can stay here, right?"

The two angels looked at each other in bewilderment. "Well… no," one of them finally said. Yugi's smile disappeared.

"What?"

"There are only two choices available: either the human must move on to the continuing life of his immortal soul, or he must return to his life on Earth."

"But…" Yami stood up. "You said it was my choice."

The angels looked uncomfortable. "Yes, but… Well, the Councilor believes that keeping a human here would upset a delicate balance that has long existed between our worlds. Upsetting this could cause unknown side effects, particularly to you. We are not sure how your consciousness will handle being outside of its element."

Yami's eyes widened. Side effects… his strange episode this morning?

"We are… under orders to make sure that you depart these lands as soon as possible."

At this, Yugi could no longer stand it and a sob escaped his lips. The two angels startled and Yami turned to him with an aching feeling in his chest. Yugi had his face buried in his hands, trying to hold back another sob. Yami went to him and put his arms around him, but was surprised when Yugi pushed him away.

"Yugi…?"

"Please, no… I can't bear it…" Yugi sobbed. "I can't… I can't watch you go…"

When Yami tried to approach again, Yugi turned and ran into the garden, disappearing into the trees. Yami's first instinct was to follow, but the firm hand of one of the Council angels gripped his shoulder.

"You must come with us."

Yami just shook his head, his body suddenly feeling very weak. He barely noticed as the two led him outside and, clutching his arms, lifted him off the ground as they took flight.

The angels eventually landed in an area that seemed strangely familiar to Yami. An enormous yet delicate-looking gate was to one side of him, and a long road led out away from it towards the horizon.

"You must go down that road in the opposite direction of where those people you see are traveling. That will lead you home," The angel's calm voice said behind Yami. The human turned, tears stinging in his eyes. He was about to say something when a voice called out to him.

Yami spun around just in time to see Yugi land in an ungraceful stumble, his face flushed from flying so hard and fast. One of the alarmed Councilors tried to tell him to go home, but Yugi pushed past him. Twisting his arm out of the unknown angels grasp, Yami embraced his angel, who had tears pouring down his cheeks.

"Yami, I don't want you to go… I don't want you to go…" Yugi sobbed out brokenly, hugging Yami with both his arms and his wings. Yami, suddenly finding it hard to speak, hugged Yugi back as tightly as he could, burying his face in the angel's soft hair.

The older angels were quite thoroughly confused. No one had known that the angel and the human had grown this close so fast. One of them softly placed a hand on the human's shoulder. "You must go," he said quietly. Yami stood frozen, but in his embrace Yugi sniffed softly, then gently pulled back. He looked up into the crimson eyes that he loved so much, then reached a hand back toward his soft wings. Yugi plucked a small, white feather off of his wings. Placing it in Yami's hands, the small angel said softly, "I love you, Yami."

Yami stared at the feather in his hand, then suddenly pulled Yugi close to him for a bittersweet kiss that tasted like tears. "I love you, my angel…" Yami whispered softly as they broke the kiss, then he stepped away to follow the road that led back to Earth.

As he walked, Yami suddenly began to feel a dull ache in his head and chest, and his vision began to darken. The last thing that he saw before everything around him faded away was a white-winged angel with tear-filled violet eyes standing by a silver gate, one slender hand held out in a last gesture of longing.

Jounouchi sat by his friend's bed in the hospital, half-asleep on Seto. Yami had been asleep for almost a month, and the doctors were beginning to have doubts of his recovery. With nothing better to do at the moment, Jou had decided to come and stay with Yami for a while. The blond was just about to fall asleep when his sister, Shizuka, and Honda came into the room. Jou opened his mouth to greet them, but nothing came out as the steady beeping of the heart monitor began to increase rapidly.

Yami's hands clutched at the sheets so hard that his knuckles turned white, and his breathing was becoming quick and heavy. "I'll get the doctor!" Shizuka ran out of the room as Yami began to mumble incoherently. Suddenly, the mumbling became a scream, and all the occupants of the room heard the name loud and clear, "Yugi!"

Crimson eyes flew open, and the boy bolted into a sitting position. He had a handful of blanket in a tight fist over his chest, and his breath was coming in short, labored gasps. He whispered the name again, staring dazedly ahead of him.

"Yami? Yami!" Jou tried to get a reaction out of Yami, and was just about to grab him by the shoulders and start shaking him when Yami look his blond friend in the eye. His eyes were filled with tears. Jounouchi was surprised, to say the least, and Seto even more. Neither of them had ever seen Yami cry. Yet tears were running down his face, falling onto the starched white sheets.

Yami shook his head slowly from side to side for a few moments, then turned his gaze away from his friends. The hand tightly closed over his chest slowly opened as Yami looked down at his fist as if it didn't belong to him. He seemed to look at something grasped in his hand, then closed his eyes against a sudden onslaught of tears.

"Yugi…" Yami whimpered softly, then he fell back onto the bed, burying his face in the pillow. His shoulders shook as he cried silently, hugging the pillow tightly and curling up under the sheets. Jou, on instinct, reached out and put a hand on Yami's shoulder. After a few moments, the sobs subsided and Yami fell into a light, dream-filled sleep.

A/N: I had to get to the angst sometime! Please review.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: *blinks* Well, that was a fast update. I think… Oh, well. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! It's a massive ego boost. *cheesy smile*

Little Angel

Chapter 9

After the wedding, several of the guests realized that the son of their old friends had not been there. Worried that he was still dealing with the loss of his parents, and curious about the human that apparently had lived there for a while, they visited him, only to find that Yugi was only partially there.

Yugi was fading away. His already thin frame had grown even more skeletal as he refused to eat. He would not sleep, but simply lay in the garden or on his bed staring at nothing in particular. He had no desire to live without Yami. It was for that reason that some of his concerned acquaintances had called in the Councilor to the young angel.

The Councilor entered Yugi's lavish room to see the small angel lying sprawled out on his bed, eyes wide open but not comprehending what he saw. Laying out a rough plan of what he was going to say in his mind, the Councilor stepped over to Yugi's bed, but before he could open his mouth, Yugi was on his feet and heading swiftly for the garden.

"Young master, wait…" The Councilor said gently. The angel stopped between two of the pillars, and the Councilor went on, "You must not let this trouble you so. I know that you and him became close…"

Yugi whirled around at that point, crystalline tears on his fair face. "Don't you understand?!" he shouted, small hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Yami wasn't just someone that I got kind of close to over the time that we were together, I love him!"

Yugi's eyes were red from crying, and somewhere in the dull void that his violet orbs had become there was a glimmer of anger and terrible, terrible pain. It grew stronger as he continued to speak.

"And he loved me! He loved me back! Do you know how often that's happened to me? Never!" The anger suddenly softened into grief, at which point the Councilor realized that he had made a mistake in sending the human back to Earth.

"In him was everything I ever wanted, everything that I ever needed, and now all that's been taken away…" Yugi murmured softly, more salty tears trailing down his cheeks. He closed his eyes against the tears, but they continued to fall.

"Young master…" the Councilor tried again, then found he didn't know what to say. He didn't have anything to say.

Yugi's anger suddenly resurfaced, and he opened his eyes. "He was all that mattered to me since the first time I saw him, but now he's gone and there's nothing left!" the small angel shouted. By that time Yugi was crying so hard that he was having trouble speaking. The small angel then turned and ran out into the garden, away from the somewhat stunned Councilor.

Yugi ran until he came to a familiar field of wildflowers, and then he collapsed into the warm grasses, sobbing. Looking up at the sky, Yugi envisioned that it was that night again, with Yami holding him close.

"Yami…" the small angel whispered softly, his mind's eye filled with a vision of loving crimson eyes as he remembered the tenderness of Yami's smile. Breathing deeply the scent of the wildflowers around him, Yugi began to lose himself in a dream of the not-too-distant past.

The little angel's head snapped up suddenly as he heard the Councilor's voice in the garden calling his name. Staggering to his feet, he spread his wings and drifted upward towards the sky. Letting the wind carry him, Yugi closed his eyes as he flew, hoping that the wind would take him away from everything.

After an unknown amount of time, Yugi opened his eyes again to see that he was gliding over the road that led to the Gate. Looking back over his shoulder, he could see the Gate far behind him. The angel hesitated for a moment as he hovered in the air. He looked down the road that led, twisting and winding, through the faraway green hills, then to the Gate at the other end of the road, then back again.

Yugi bit his lip, then decidedly began to glide down the road again without looking back. The road wasn't quite as long as Yugi expected, so he was surprised when he reached the end. It stopped just short of an ominous-looking mist from which souls were emerging.

Yugi landed at the side of the road, just short of the mysterious mist. He reached out to touch it, and cool tendrils of it wove around his fingertips. Somehow the weaving gray fog fascinated him, and Yugi took an involuntary step forward.

"Beneath that mist is Earth," an unfamiliar voice said from behind the angel. A young woman stood behind him, smiling sadly as the feathers of her gold-tinged wings ruffled in the slight breeze.

Yugi frowned slightly, confused. "Who…Who are you?"

The smile became a bit more mischievous. "I'm known by many names on Earth. My original name was Anzu, and so you can call me that." It was then that Yugi noticed a sheath of arrows slung over her shoulder. "I know quite a bit about you and your human lover," she went on. Yugi's eyes went wide.

"I really shouldn't have tried as hard as I did; the two of you got together quite well without my help… And even now, you're still the one that has to choose."

Yugi eyed her warily. "What do you mean?"

Anzu gestured toward where the path ended. "If you step into that mist, you will end up on Earth. Your wings will be torn from you in the process, which is not going to feel very good. Also, you will be leaving behind everything that you have here in this land. On Earth, however, is Yami, who yearns for you just as you yearn for him."

Yugi turned and looked into the silvery mist as he listened. There was complete silence as the high-ranking angel finished, watching Yugi with compassionate eyes. "But…" Anzu said softly, and Yugi turned back to him, "What you do is completely up to you."

Violet locked with violet for a few moments. Yugi's eyes were a battleground of warring emotions for what seemed like a long time, then a slight half-smile appeared on Yugi's tired face.

"You were the one that pushed me so that I fell onto him, weren't you?"

She grinned rather sheepishly. "I confess… that was me."

Yugi turned to look at her, still smiling, and then without hesitation stepped forward into the mist, and disappeared from the land of the angels.

A/N: See? I'm not that evil. Please review.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: So close! Almost there! *gasp* Thank you to everyone that reviewed.

Little Angel

Chapter 10

Yugi could feel himself falling. Cold, harsh winds howled all around him, throwing him around violently. All that he could see around himself was dark swirls of mist as he vainly tried to make his wings work in the hurricane winds. Suddenly, the mist cleared, and below him Yugi could see masses of beautiful green and blue. 'Earth…' Yugi thought to himself. 'Where Yami is…" The thought of Yami made Yugi fight the winds with renewed strength, his eyes locked on the land below him.

Suddenly, all thought was banished as a pain greater than anything Yugi had ever felt coursed through him like a thunderbolt. His scream was lost in the wailing storm, and tears of pain were swept from his cheeks by the wind.

It felt as though Yugi's wings were being slowly pulled right out of his back, the pain so great that Yugi nearly passed out right then. The winds continued to grow stronger and stronger, tossing his small body around violently as he continued to fall. More and more tears were pouring from Yugi's eyes as the pain in his wings grew and grew. Finally, a last sharp, shooting pain ripped through his body, causing him to cry out again.

Then, it all faded away. The wind stopped, and Yugi was falling through clouds towards the Earth. His blurred vision processed blue mixed with white, but his mind was still in the aftershock of the pain that had now faded down to a throbbing ache.

He felt a gentle wind caressing his face, and knew in the back of his mind that he was still falling. Automatically, Yugi tried to extend his wings, but found that there were no longer any wings to extend. He fought down his panic, and instead closed his eyes and thought of Yami until darkness took him and he knew no more.

It had taken nearly an hour of searching, but Jou had finally found Yami. Seto was at work and Honda was out with Shizuka, so Jou had gone searching for Yami to find that he wasn't home. His grandfather said that he had headed to the park some hour or so ago, but when Jou finally found him he was sitting on the beach, looking at the colorful sunset.

Jou sat down beside him, ignoring the fact that Yami didn't even acknowledge his presence. Jounouchi thought back over the past few days; Yami had made a full recovery, but that had been second to the doctor's other worries. Yami's outburst when he had finally woken up had earned him a few trips to a psychologist, to whom Yami very calmly explained that he had simply had a bad dream that had been very "intense". Neither the psychologist nor Yami's grandfather bought it, but the crimson-eyed boy wouldn't offer them any other information. He hadn't even told his friends about it, which really disturbed Jou. Yami was usually really open with them, if not his grandfather.

Deciding to break the fragile silence, Jou said quietly, "Yami? Will you please talk to me?" A fist clenched in the sand. Jou's honey eyes watched Yami carefully, trying to detect a clue to the cause of his friend's strange behavior. Yami sighed, shook his head slightly, then flopped backward onto the sand.

After staring up at the stars that were gradually appearing for a few moments, Yami pulled himself back up into a sitting position. He then pulled a small, white feather out of his pocket, playing with it idly. Jou stared at the feather for a moment, wondering what it meant to Yami, and was about to try again when Yami's soft voice reached his ears.

"I'm still trying to convince myself that it was just a dream," he began, eyes fixated on the feather. "It was so very real, like I had truly gone to Heaven, even if just for a little while." There was a momentary silence, than Yami smiled bitterly. "You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you…"

Jou put his hand on Yami's shoulder, which startled the boy into turning his crimson eyes to the blond. "Yami, I want to help you. I'll believe you no matter how crazy your dream sounds, okay?" Yami nodded slowly, and Jou smiled at him reassuringly.

Taking a deep breath, Yami began to speak again in a distant voice, "I… I dreamed that I almost went to Heaven… But not quite. I landed in this garden… and an angel took me away to his home. The angel was beautiful, with these wonderful lavender eyes that would just shine whenever he looked at me… In the dream, we fell in love. I didn't remember much of anything from here, so I didn't even really know for certain that I had a previous life. And right then, all I wanted was him…" Yami's voice lowered to a whisper. "All I needed was him…"

Jou wasn't sure what to say, so he stayed silent until Yami took another shuddering breath, and continued, "Then, something happened. I had to be sent back here, and…" Yami nearly choked on his words, but kept going, "And I left because I didn't have a choice. The last time I saw him, he was crying… crying for me as I left. Then, I woke up."

Jounouchi's eyes widened as he saw tears flowing freely down Yami's face as he spoke, the feather now clenched in a white-knuckled fist. Yami had never cried in front of anyone to Jou's knowledge, and it was almost frightening to see Yami's cool, confident demeanor fall to shambles before his eyes.

"I… I've fallen in love with a dream. I'm not… even sure if it really was a dream, but… that might just be wishful thinking." Yami's shoulders were shaking, his composure quickly going out the window. "I wish it was real, though… I want so bad for him to be real… because I love him…" Yami's voice finally broke, and he hugged his knees to his chest as he sobbed out all his grief and frustration.

Jou put his arm around Yami's shoulders, the sight of his friend so broken up tugging at his heart. Yami leaned in close to him, seeking comfort from the pain of his breaking heart.

A/N: Well, this is almost the end, but not quite! The next chapter will be the last on this fic. So, I need some opinions. I've thought of writing a fic that sort of ties into this one, except it involves Ryou and Bakura. What do ya'll think? Please R&R!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Well, here's the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Little Angel

Chapter 11

Yami sat in the exact same place that he had the night before, this time facing a dark sea as the sun rose in the sky behind him. He absently thought back to the events of the previous night.

Jou had let him cry until the sun had gone down, then had walked him home after promising not to say anything to Yami's grandfather. Yami was grateful for that, and even though he knew that Jou didn't quite understand the dream, he was especially thankful that his friend had been there to listen and comfort him.

Sighing, Yami lazily traced patterns in the sand with his fingers, idly wondering what Yugi was doing right then. Was the angel all right? Maybe he was doing better than he was, maybe even considering finding another person to spend his life with. At that thought, Yami had to fight back tears as the overwhelming desire to be with Yugi nearly consumed him. Jealousy also welled up inside of him at the thought of Yugi with someone else, then it faded into despair as Yami reminded himself that there was nothing he could do about it.

Deciding to try and distract himself from his thoughts, Yami kicked off his shoes and socks and waded out until the water was up to his knees, the spray soaking the hem of his shorts. Looking out at the still-dark ocean, Yami absently thought that it was sort of fitting.

That darkness was exactly how his future looked right now. Before he met Yugi, Yami hadn't exactly had much of a direction in life to begin with. He had just been a wanderer, not quite knowing where he was going. But, now that he had an idea of what direction he wanted to take, the path had been completely cut off from him.

Yami waded out even farther until the water was up past his waist. He had no direction, no true purpose that he could think of, except that he had wanted to love and protect Yugi. Every other purpose that he once thought he had suddenly seemed so insignificant compared to that beautiful angel, but if that beautiful angel was no longer with him…

Yami deliberately halted that thought before it was fully formed. He was then in water halfway up his torso, and, for reasons unknown, he just kept going. The thought of just swimming out to the dark horizon and never coming back had nearly entered his mind when his crimson eyes narrowed suddenly.

It looked like there was something floating in the water a ways off, but it was difficult to tell what it was. It was just barely visible, an unidentifiable speck floating on the edge of the deep blue horizon. Curious, and with nothing better to do, Yami began to swim out to it.

As he came closer, Yami suddenly felt an odd warmth in the back of his mind. It was a good, comforting feeling, and it was also familiar, so very familiar. Yami couldn't quite place it, though, so he concentrated on moving forward through the water instead. He began to swim even faster to try and reach whatever was there, and as he got even closer, he saw that it looked like a body. At that point, Yami hesitated for a moment, wondering if what was out there was something that he didn't really want to see. He shrugged it off, though, and swam closer.

When he got close enough to see the body a bit more clearly, all movement in his body ceased, and it was only a mouthful of salty water that brought him back to reality as he immediately reached out to grab the arm of the boy in the water. The boy had soft, fair skin and an angelic face, and hair that was extremely similar to Yami's.

Yami swam back to the beach with the boy in his arms faster than he knew he could swim. In less than five minutes Yami was sitting on the sand, soaking wet, with the boy in his arms, trying his best to wake him up.

"Please, Yugi…" Yami pleaded, tears already forming in his crimson eyes. "Please, please wake up… Please, I need you… Just open your eyes…"

The hope that had filled his heart for a few moments began to fade. Yugi continued to lie lifeless in Yami's arms despite all of the taller boy's efforts.

"Please, Yugi, please…" The tears that Yami had been trying so hard to hold back earlier began to fall, mixing with the salty seawater. He slowly closed his eyes, and leaned down to touch his forehead to Yugi's.

"Please…" he said in a barely audible whisper, "I need you, Yugi. Just open your eyes for me, please…"

Yami slowly opened his eyes after a long moment of silence save for the waves crashing over the white sand. He breathed a shuddering sigh of relief. Yami had finally been rewarded as Yugi's violet eyes opened, looking about dazedly until they met bright, tear-filled red.

"Yami…" Yugi's soft whisper had to be the most beautiful thing that Yami had ever heard in his entire life. Suddenly, the angel's body tensed, and his face twisted in pain. Yami's eyes widened in fear.

"Yugi, what's wrong?" The angel tried his best to relax, then murmured, "It's just… my wings… it hurts where they were…"

Yami noticed then that the trails of saltwater trickling down Yugi's shoulders and back were misted with red. "Oh, Yugi…" Yami started, but was hushed by a slender finger on his lips.

The angel looked up at Yami, and saw the worry in his crimson eyes. "But…" Yugi said softly, his eyes shining, "…it was worth it…"

Yami was speechless for a few moments as he stared down at the fallen angel in his arms. Yugi smiled up at him with tears in his eyes, ignoring the pain in his back.

"Oh, Yugi…" Yami finally managed, then he hugged the small angel close to him as he allowed his tears to flow freely. "I love you, my angel…" he whispered softly in Yugi's ear.

Yugi smiled through his crystal tears, and replied softly, "I love you, too, Yami…"

A/N: Well, that's all, folks! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed on my chapters, and hopefully I'll have some new chapters up for some of my other fics soon.

P.S. Ya'll must go and read Panseru's fics, and you will review on them! Mwahahahahah- Okay, I'm done now.


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